HP North Star's Radiance

Praris sat on the carpet, looking at "Advanced Potion Making" and then at the cauldron.

"Where do you sleep?" Winnie looked like she was about to explode.

Praris slumped onto the table: "Like this."

Winnie asked again, "Did this happen within a month?"

Praris nodded: "Obviously. I'll take them all with me before school starts. I got a suitcase that can hold them all. Don't worry, everything will be back to normal by then."

Winnie swallowed hard. "You're crazier than I was when I was eighteen or nineteen."

"Fortunately, I am probably not as good as you. After all, the 'teacher' you chose for yourself is Mysterio, while my teacher is Professor Snape."

"Merlin! Please stop digging up my embarrassing past!"

Professor Snape wrote back to Prader, indicating that her paper was barely acceptable in his eyes. But this did not mean she could slack off; she must complete all the tasks he assigned before the start of the semester, without missing a single one.

Did Professor Snape know anything about the Quidditch World Cup?

Will he attend this gathering? Perhaps he thinks Prares isn't interested in Quidditch, so there's no need to remind him.

Or did the other Death Eaters not invite him at all? Did they suspect him, or felt he wasn't interested in Quidditch and that his presence would be too conspicuous?

What's rather funny is Draco. As the son of a Death Eater, Draco writes in his letter that he plans to go to the Quidditch World Cup, his words radiating a cheerful air.

The wealthy man also sent Prares a ticket, inviting him to watch the game together.

I really don't know if he was completely unaware of it, or if he thought that the Death Eater attack could be seen as a spectacle?

Whether anticipated or not, the 1994 Quidditch World League began amidst a flurry of activity. Wizards fans from all over the world flocked to this grand event held in England.

After Winnie left, Prarese would go downstairs at a set time every day to get the day's newspaper from Old Tom, making sure he didn't miss the latest news.

Summer days are early, and Praris went downstairs for breakfast when it was just getting light.

A stack of newspapers lay beside the counter, representing the daily consignment of the Daily Prophet. Wizards and witches who came and went, if they wished to purchase a copy, would pay Old Tom and take it away.

"What a disgrace!" Old Tom said, shaking his head. "There are Quidditch fans from all over the world there, and this riot has happened. Those Frenchmen are laughing their heads off!"

Praris took the newspaper and saw that the headline on the front page was a striking line: "Terrifying Scenes at the Quidditch World Cup," accompanied by a picture of the Dark Mark flashing in a forest at night.

The editor wrote the whole process as full of ups and downs and crises, as if the Ministry of Magic was about to collapse and the whole world was about to collapse.

Prarese glanced at the end of the article, Rita Skeeter.

Winnie mentioned her before; she was the queen of rumors in the press, and only half of what she said was believable.

Although Skeeter is infamous, her articles always sell very well. After all, people don't care about the truth; they only care whether the words can evoke their emotions and satisfy their desires—the desire to explore, the desire to voyeurize, and the need for a legitimate channel to release their emotions.

Of course, for those who went to the World Cup without getting injured, the bigger the fuss, the better.

In this way, they can pin all the blame on the incompetent Ministry of Magic and make them compensate for losses that didn't even exist.

Even if they were just kicked by a dung beetle, wizards could unleash talents they hadn't shown in school and write damage reports longer than Praris's paper on the poisonous tentacle growth agent.

Thinking too far ahead, Praris shook his head, handed the newspaper back to old Tom, and turned to walk towards Prim Purnell's cosmetics store.

"Little Pley, so early today?"

Ms. Prie returned from Devon a few days ago. She was watering her flowers, her leisurely demeanor completely out of place amidst the hustle and bustle of the outside world.

Praris asked, "Is Winnie back?"

"Back?" Ms. Priscilla was a little confused. "She slept in the hotel's guest room all night and didn't go anywhere!"

Praris finally smiled for the first time that day: "I thought she was secretly going to watch Quidditch behind our backs!"

"I heard someone talking bad about me first thing this morning!" Winnie shuffled down in her ill-fitting slippers. "Prim, why didn't you teach her a lesson!"

That's because you have a long criminal record!

Prarese made a face at Winnie, which made Ms. Prie laugh.

Praris and Winnie exchanged a glance, their eyes meeting in a fleeting moment that conveyed a message known only to the other.

Winnie did not attend last night's Death Eater gathering.

Whether she made an excuse or refused outright, the possibility of her siding with Voldemort was greatly reduced, and the Death Eaters' distrust of her increased accordingly.

"Oh! That's right!" Ms. Priscilla suddenly clapped her hands. "I have something for you!"

After saying that, she hurriedly ran up to the second floor of the beauty salon and then hurriedly ran back down, handing Praris a beautifully packaged box.

"what is this?"

Praris curiously opened the box, revealing the shimmering fabric inside.

The overall color of this garment is between emerald green and moss green; the parts illuminated by the light are light green, while the parts not illuminated by the light are dark green.

Its subtle silky texture gives it a shimmering, wave-like effect for the few seconds that Praris holds it up.

Even someone with no discerning eye can tell that this is an extremely expensive and valuable item!

Ms. Prie said, "Winnie said you're having a ball this year, and I'm sure you saw a dress on your back-to-school list. Prie, I don't have any children, but you are my child. What other children have, my child should have too."

“This is too valuable!” Praris said instinctively.

Just as Winnie was about to go along with Prim's idea and persuade Praris to accept the dress, she heard Praris excitedly say, "Ms. Prim, you're so kind to me! I'll definitely cherish it!"

After saying that, Prarese shoved the box into Winnie's hands and then opened his arms to hug Ms. Prie.

Winnie covered her face. What was I worried about? She'd be polite to me, but she wouldn't be polite to Prim! They're like mother and daughter!

Professor Snape's assignments were extremely demanding, and by the time Pralis finished all the homework, summer vacation was almost over.

Around 11 a.m. the next morning, Praris stood in front of the Hogwarts Express, pulling his suitcase.

Midway through the train journey, Praris spotted Pansy and Daphne, who had already reserved seats. Pansy looked rather sullen.

"Who upset you, Miss?" Praris sat down opposite Pansy.

Daphne scoffed, "Who else could it be? Women in love are like the April sky—one second it's sunny, the next it's overcast!"

Chapter 68 Mad-Eye Moody

Pansy shrugged: "We broke up, that's it."

"You broke up? Why?" Praris asked in surprise. "You said he was your type before."

Pansy spoke like a mature adult: "Plares, in relationships, good looks alone are useless. Jacob is like a block of wood, like a wizard with a hairy heart. He has no curiosity, no desire to explore, and I don't get much of a reaction from him when I share anything with him."

"Some people call this being reserved. But I know that even if you replaced me with someone else, he wouldn't change at all. So what am I to him? What's the point of me being in this relationship?"

Prareas pulled a bag of snacks from his bag and handed it to her, saying, "He didn't seem like this when he wrote to you."

“That’s why I persisted for a year.” Pansy looked at the raindrops sliding down the window. “I believed he had a passionate heart, but he was just too shy to express it. But after these two months, I found it hard to convince myself anymore. His charm, apart from his face, was only based on my imagination of him in the letters.”

"If I had no morals, I could have easily kept up until the start of the semester, continuing to use the person I was when I wrote those letters to replace the real him, but I can't. Human hearts are greedy. I believe that if I love someone, I will love them even for their flaws. I will love a complete person, even if they are not perfect."

Praris then asked, "Then why are you sad? Isn't leaving him a good thing?"

“But I gave love.” Pansy tore open the snack packaging. “Is this a Muggle snack? Loving someone takes a lot of effort and attention. For example, if you spend a lot of time practicing riding a broomstick but don’t get the reward you deserve, wouldn’t you feel sorry for that time?”

“It’s a Muggle snack, my family bought it in London,” Praris said. “I never thought that being in a relationship could help me grow.”

“At least it taught me to let go.” Pansy chewed. “If I were in first grade now, I would definitely give up on that guy much earlier—he’s pretty good—my feelings for Draco were too naive and too superficial.”

"When I gave up my feelings for Draco, Draco didn't even realize it, which shows that I didn't really love him that much. But giving up Jacob was a sober thought for me. I've never been so clear-headed before. It turns out that truly deciding not to love someone is so, so agonizing."

Millison entered just as Pansy was speaking. She was now resting her head on Praris's lap, her eyes fixed intently on him.

"What's wrong? Did you break up with your boyfriend too?" Praris raised an eyebrow.

Millison angrily tried to tickle Praris, only to find that the man wasn't ticklish at all: "I've never been in a relationship, okay!"

After saying that, she seemed a little deflated and let out a long sigh: "It's nothing, I'm just a little tired."

No one in this carriage can be happy right now.

Daphne was furious about her sister's situation, Pansy broke up with her boyfriend, Millison was exhausted, and Prarese closed her eyes to think about what should happen to her two Death Eater family members.

In the afternoon, the young wizards began visiting each other's homes.

Terence and Selwin, the two prefects, were the first to knock on their door. Selwin smiled elegantly and said, "How was your summer, girls? Did you go to see the Quidditch World Cup?"

“Catherine,” Daphne nodded, “Such a big celebration, especially in England, how could we not cherish such an opportunity? But we came back early tonight. After all, Leah is still young and has trouble sleeping in a new bed.”

“That’s a real shame,” Selwyn said meaningfully. “You’ve missed the most exciting part of the evening.”

Daphne shrugged: "Taking care of a child, there's no other way."

Selwyn exchanged a few pleasantries and left, while Milison silently rolled his eyes at her retreating figure.

Daphne, resting her chin on her hand, looked at Millison and asked, "Mrs. Burst has gone?"

Milison punched the sofa in the carriage in frustration, leaving a dent in the surface: "I can't take it anymore. I have no feelings for the Death Eaters, but she's gone even crazier since she came back. She's staring at her arm and laughing incoherently, telling me to 'behave well' and wait to be chosen by her 'master' in the future."

Daphne gave a subtle smile: "Mrs. Burst is still too persistent. To be honest, what benefits has being a Death Eater brought her? Has her family become richer, more powerful, or more influential?"

Pansy quickly slapped her hand: "Watch what you're saying! Who knows who will win this time? It's best if these things pass by as soon as possible. Why were we born in this terrible era? Let them do whatever they want. I just hope things calm down soon, everyone is okay, and the four of us can still sit together and drink tea."

Praris agreed with Pansy's words and only hoped that things would pass quickly so that no one would become a speck of dust in the power struggle between the big shots.

The sky seemed to have opened up, and rain poured down from above. A short while later, a white light ripped across the sky, like a giant serpent biting at the earth. Then came a deafening clap of thunder, and the rain intensified, the damp air causing the girls to rub their arms.

When the train came to a stop, Praris stood on the platform. She imagined the first-year students crossing Black Lake in this rain, and couldn't help but think that her own nighttime boat trip that year had a unique charm.

To make matters worse, the floor was wet when they reached the foyer. Filch grumbled and cursed down the hallway, shouting that ghosts like Peeves should be expelled from Hogwarts.

"This is the most I've ever supported that old Squib," Daphne said through gritted teeth. "Pansy, don't grab me, or we'll both fall down!"

"I...I...I'm so slippery in my boots! Merlin, I'm going to tell Blood Man Barrow!" Pansy yelled.

Finally, they arrived at the auditorium, albeit with great difficulty.

Praris habitually glanced at the faculty and staff's desks.

Ms. Sprout waved to her with a smile. Sinesta, whose cronies had graduated, looked rather sullen and whispered something to Ms. Sprout in a low voice. Professor Snape exchanged a glance with her, implying that she should visit his office sometime.

Professor McGonagall was not in her seat; as was customary, as the Vice-Headmaster, she was responsible for guiding students through the Sorting Ceremony. Dumbledore, on the other hand, seemed lost in thought, as if pondering something.

Soon, Professor McGonagall entered with her students, but the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor's seat remained empty.

Draco had somehow ended up sitting to Praris's right. He looked somewhat displeased, and following her gaze, he saw the empty seat of the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.

Draco said dismissively, "Prince, what's so interesting about this? It's much better to have no Defense Against the Dark Arts professor than to have werewolves come, isn't it?"